Device for removing snow, ice, and sleet from channels and channel-rails of underground railways.



F. J. KROBOTH. DEVICE FOR REMOVING snow, ICE, AND SLEET mom CHANNELS AND CHANNEL RAILS 0F 7 UNDERGROUND RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1914 1 T 3 Patented Ma112, 1915.

7 2'8 2 SHEE EEBT 1.

WITNESSES 1 //VI/E/VTOR A TTOR/VEYS F. J. KROBOTH. DEVICE FOR REMOVING SNOW, 10E, AND SLEET FROM CHANNELS AND CHANNEL RAILS 0F UNDERGROUND EAILWAYS.

APPLICATION EILED NOV. 5, 1914.

Patented M8122, 1915.

THEETS SEEET 2.

WTT'a ,3 it is m re in i r l FRANK 5. KBfiBGTH, 6F H131 YORK, N. Y.

FOR REI/ZOVING SNOW, ICE, AND SLEET FR-OI /I GHANNERQS chi-U3 CHANNEL BEtILS O33 UNZQEHGRGUND Specification of Letters 'fatent.

Application filed. November 5. 191 .1. Serial 1%. 879,503.

Z?) nr/l coir/mi it may concern lie it known that l. FRANK J. Knono'rii, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city oi. New York. borough of Main hattan. in the county and State of New York. have invented a new and improved. Device for Removing; Snow, Ice, and Sleet from Channels and (.hannel-Rails of linderground Railways. of which the following is a full. clear. and exact description.

This invention relates to an improved appliance or apparatus adapted for use in connection with underground railway systems and the object thereof is to provideimproved means for removing snow. ice and sleet from the channels and channel rails of said railway s stems.

ih'dinarily. in railway systems having the usual underground channels and channel rails from which electric current transmitted to the motor trucks o1 the cars through the medium of the ordinary plow and connections leading therefrom.the channels will become clogged up with snow. ice and sleet and when such collection has reached a height above the ordinary rails the further operation of the system must come to a stop. The present invention is designed to overcome these dihiculties and for this purpose a novel form of fitting is provided to he suspended from the truck of a car somewhat similar to the manner of suspending: the usual plow, and said titting is provided with a plurality of nozzles designed to eject steam in a blast against the channel rails. at the entrance slot of the channel and into the channel for effectively melting the. snow. ice and sleet which may collect. thus providing an of licient means to maintain the channel in such condition that the o 'wration of a railway svstcin may continue without interruption during the worst of inclement weather. it is also to he understood that the device is to he applied to a railway car at the outer ends ol the trucks so to proceed in front of the conductor plow which operates in the hannel and is especially adapted for use with a special or two-trucl sweeper as distinguished from the ordinary single truck sweeper. so that the same can he provided with a suitable steam generator thereon to supply steam to the fitting for simultaneous or independent discharge from the nozzles into the slot of the channel or against the opposed channel 1': la, without interfering with the operation oi the sweeper, the usual snow plow or other devices which are designed to remove the snow from the tracks in order to secure proper traction tor the. wheels of the car.

With the above and other objects in view. the invention resides in the peculiar comluuation and arrangement of parts to he hereinafter more fully descrihed, illustrated and claimed, it being also an object to provide a device which is simple in construc tion, durable and ellicient in operation and not likely to get out of working order.

Reference is to he had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of refer ence indicate corresponding parts in ali the views and in which Figure l is a fragmentary elevation of a car partly in section. equipped with the inn proved device or apparatus and showing the. manner in which the same operates with the elements of the underground. electric railway system: Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof with the body ot the car omitted: Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional. elevation of the fitting designed to operate in the channel slot for discharging the steam as specified; Fig. -l is an enlarged horizontal sectiol'ial view through the device illustrated in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a similar view of a modified form of fitting; Fifi. (3 is a similar view of a still further modified form of fitting; and Fi 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 77 oi Fig. 2.

ln carrying the invention. into practice and for purposes of illustration, a. frat? nientary portion of a. railway car is illus trated, the same ll'ltillllllllfj a body it) which may be suitahiy mounted upon the truck 11 which may he swiveled to the hody as shown at 2, the car being preferably a special construction of sweeper employed for cleaning the tracks 13. such sweeper having two trucks so that the device. may he carried at the forward portion of the front truck to proceed in front of the conductor plow, while the sweeper carries the usual revolving brushes, snow plows or other means for cleaning the tracks and roadhed. The truck may he of any preferred construction but as illustrated includes the usual side rails 14 and the end braces 15 while the usual journal bores 16 are provided for the car axles Patented M915.

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ii. the wheels is of which travel on the tracks 13.

'l'he underground system includes the usual channel 'astiugs 15 which form suptwain fo the track rails 1 and which )10- duce the channel by means of a cement or allic. inclosure 21 carried within the U- shaped central portions of the castings. This channel member is extended upwardly and provided with inwardly extending portions 2-55 producing a channel slot while the opposed portions of the channel produo ing member at the neck portion oi. the channel may he braced. to the track rails as shown at 25. The channel rails are indicated by the numeral '36. and as illustrated are "2"shaped in cross section with the leg "griortions thereof removahly connected to suitable insulator supports 27 to the opposed sides oi the channel so that the channel rails lie in spaced parallel relation and are horizontally disposed equidistantly from t center of the channel and the channel slot above the same.

Ordinarily the usual conductor plow for transmitting current from the conductor or channel rails 26 is suspended from the car truck at a suitable point about midway oi the length of the truck and car, providing the car is a single truck one, and generally at the inner end of each truck it the car is ith four wheels in the present instai'ice, hmveyer. the crevice or apparatus embodies a lilting much i suspended from the extreme outer or forward end of each truck frame in such a manner as to operate in front of the plow and by cleaning the channels and channel rails insure the proper transmission 01 the current and cleaning of the channel to ellect the most ellirient operation oi the railway sewstem. For this purpose each litting' 23 comprises a suitable ria-taiuiular casmgi which is relatively narrow and long so as to operate through the slot 23 and depend into the channel 20.

Arranged upon the car is a ej'icain generatinc furnace 29 from which a 'ilurality oi steam supply pipes 30 lead. the pipes being capable of independent control as by means of ralves 31. 'lhese pipes extend through and beneath the floor of the car body. being: made flexible for this purpose and provided with suitable couplings 3; at thc'r lower extremities by means oi which they may be coupled to the reduced inlets 33, 34 and 33 so to indcpendently discharge steam therethrrmgh. The connection may he made hy the usual threaded couplings or other wise. The inlets may form a part at a casting 36 producing a head for the littinf: and may be separate therefrom or otherwise.

is illustrated, each fitting is in the form of a narrow casting carrying a plurality of incased tubing" and the inlet 33 discharges through a, pair oi passages fl? and tlliolrgjl: a corresponding plural numb r ol' tubes Eliincased in the caatingg forming the fitting; and comm!miratimr with the respectiye on" sages as to discharge the steam tin"; outlet passages 5 and through a forwardly extendi l0 located about midwa oi" the height of the fitting so as to dischai' the hlast of steam at and liietween the opposed portions of the casting: or channel at it the channel slot, and thus etl ectiver ren'iove snow. ice and sleet therefrom. -While two passages 3? in a corresponding nmnhe tubes or passa 38 are shown. any nunm' may he employed. the advantage of prov inc: a plurality of such passages and tunes being; to increase the cross sectional area through which the steam is discharged owing; to the restricted width of the channel slot. so that a maximum quantity of steam imaj be discharged against the parts to be acted upon. The supply and discharge oriiices preferably made of such size as to appro mate or equal the combined cross settional a rea oi the passages commuuicatingr there- 5N1 with so that the least possible resistance will be ol'lered to the discharge of the steam. while through the medium of the "aii'e provided for the supply pipe theieo such dis charge may be regulated as desired.

The inlets ill and each lead to a plu rality of passages or tubes 31. preferably lour in numberpassages it in the head ill c mmunicatingwith said tulaes and :lm'min intern'iediate deflectors tapering toward my supply end so as to uniformly divide ie volume at steam through the arious passages and tubes to further avoid resistance. 'ihese series of tubes are preferably spaced apart by a Wider casting portion ii -l so as to {l'll'G strength and rigidity to the fitting; which. in its preferred form. is cast or mold ed from some tough material or metal such as an alloy of steel or copper. The respec tive pairs of tubes discharge through pa: sages ll into sei'iarate discharge nozzles l5 and ill. the outlet orifices l7 oi which are bent or extended in opposite directions. as is more clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings. so as to direct the steam against the opposed conductors or channel rails ill imthe purpose hereinbefore described. 'llie fillings are preferably supported upon cross beams 48 secured at lheir extremities to thr- .-idcs and ends of the truck i'raine or otherin the longitudinal support 1 9. Filer-ares l Ii are engaged on the studs and loosely mounted in the openings at the ends of the longi tudinal support, while nuts 52 are mounted on the studs With interposed washers to en- "it-e slee es while permitting; the onni .ial support to more in angular relation he sleeves as the latter slide in a minute do rec upon the hcains as the ear is turning a curve 'or due to an other irregularity in the. slot. 'ihc fitting! is preferably secured to the longitudinal support 19 in conjunc tion with a spaced longitudinal support 553. the ci'inne tion heintg made by means ol bolts 52'", which pass through the fitting and thri'iugh said spaced longitudinal supports. Owing; to the use of the flexible connections 30 and the suspension of the fittings in the manner specified so as to pivot or move in angular relation to the car, and the fact that they are formed of tough malleable material, slight inaccuracies in the walls of the slot will be readily compensated for, assisted by the movement of the truck as the car travels along the track rails. In this man nor the proper discharge of the steam to re move the ice, snow and sleet from the opposed walls of the slot of the channel, the channel and the conductors or channel rails. is insured.

in the form oi the invhntion illustrated in Fig. oi the drawings the lifting, in lieu. of being: provided with a pluralitv of passages and tubes incased in the same. the advantage of which is that the tuhes are of such ma tarial as to resist the action of acid. or other constituents of the steam so that the casting may he made of cheaper and more suitable material. is provided with a rectangular and relatively fiat casing or tubing 51 which is embedded in the casting and which alone is designed to discharge through the nozzle corri' sponding to the nozzle $0. in lieu of the tubes 41 open rectangular castings or tuhrs '2 of relativelv flat. cross section are providiul. the same being also spaced apart a Greater distance than the space between th. casing 5l and the adiacent casing 52 in order to strengthen the casting at the point due to the extension or location of the dis- ."iargie nozzles 45 and it) heneatli the nozzle 4-) and thus the increased length of the cast ing: at this point.

in the form of the invention illustrated in Fig, 3 of the drawings a rectangular casin; 5 1 is emploved in lieu of the tubes 39, and the casing 51. and the same is divided by a partition or wall 54 producing a pair of passages correspondin; to the tubes or passages 33 and for use with similar inlet and discharge nozzles. while with the structure shown in Fig. 5 the intermediate walls in said nozzles are omitted. in lieu of the casings casings 56 are provided. the same having dividing or partition walls 57 for the purpose of providing a plurality of passages 58 corresponding to the bores of the tubes il. and adapted to discharge the steam in the same manner.

It will thus be seen that i have providel a simple and eilicient device for thoion it removing ice. snow and sleet from the opposed Walls of the channel siot, the channel and channel rails oi an urnlcngroundv electric railway system or the like which, together with the usual sweepers or plows provided lor cleaning. the tracks, will permit the continued and uninterrupted operation of a rail way system.

liaring thus described my in rcntion, what l claim as new and desire. to secure by Lettors Patent is:-

1. A device for removing snow. ice and sleet 'l'roni channels and channel rails of ninlerground railways, comprising a fitting having a plurality of passages with independent exhaust nozzles, one or which is adapted to be directed between the channels of such system through the slot thereof and the others of which are adapted to discharge against the conductor rails.

12. A device t'or removing snow, ice and sleet 'lroni channels and channel rails of underground railways, comprising a fitting having a plurality oi passages with independent exhaust nozzles, one of which adapted to he directed between the channels ol' such system through the slot thereof and the others of which are adapted to discharge against the conductor rails and a source of scam supply for said passages with means to independently control the same.

3. A device of the class described, cornprising a fitting having a plurality of sorics of passages therethrough, independent inlets for each series of passages for the discharge of steam thercthrough, one series of passages having a discharge nozzle forming a part of the tittin located interine diale the ends thereot' and the bottom poi tion of the fitting being provided with o positelv projecting nozzles cominunicatii with the other series oi pz'issages.

l. A device ol the class described, emhodying a fitting: l'ornird of a casting of tough malleable material with incased pas sage-s having independent inlets and outlets at the upper and lower ends thereof respcctively and castings at said ends. the castings at the upper ends having means for the attachment of pipes thereto and the castings at the lower ends having; discharge nozzles.

A device for removing ice and the like from the channels and channel rails of underground rail 'a systems. comprising a relatively flat fitting: having a plurality of independent passages therethrough with separate discharge nozzles. one nozzle being designed to discharge into the slot of the channel and the other nozzl being de- .i or.

Zinc

signmi to olischatge into the channel and i said inlets having communication with the generate? for receiving a suppiv of steam therefrom simultaneously or independently and being adapted to operate in slot to discharge steam into the siot and channel and against the conductor rails.

7. A device for removing); ice anci snow in the manner specified from uuciei'g'roui'irl rail- Ways having a channel with opposed conductor rails and a slot communicating with said channel com n'ising a steam generator carried upon :1 car or the like. a fitting having independent inlets and outlets, said in lets having communication with the generator for receiving a supply of steam therefrom simultaneously or independently anti being adapted to operate in said. slot to discharge steam into the slot and; channel Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of 21 2011 said passages, one of said nozzles te. nating abon: the others, means to support the fitting from tlic'ti'uck of :1 cm.- anc source of steam supply connected to the lots, said casings and parts with which i, \e steam comes in contact being of acid-res: i112 maternal in testimony whereof l have 11651 my name to this Si'iQCifiCzllLiOll in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

Witnesses F, E. Borsvonm JAs. l". CROWLEY.

t i'ashington, i3, 

